2024-25 Cleveland Guardians 'Prospect' Offseason in Review - Part 2: The Arizona Fall League
A review of Guardians players performances in the Arizona Fall League 2024
We end our offseason leagues coverage here at NYIC where we began it: in the Arizona Fall League. Let’s go back to October and November and take a look back at the circuit where the majority of Guardians prospects to see offseason action played.
NOTE: All players played for the Surprise Saguaros
Chase DeLauter (DH): 13 G, .327/.453/.481, 11 RBI, 6:12 K:BB - While DeLauter only played in about half of the Saguaros’ games and only at DH, his unofficial “rehab” stint was the highlight of the fall for the Guards org. Even in Arizona and playing in a league where the caliber of hitters often exceeds that of the pitchers, posting a nearly RBI-per-game pace while striking out only half as often as he walked is a very positive sign for Chase as he enters 2025. Now, if he can just stay healthy…
Milan Tolentino (IF): 26 G, .193/.339/.239, 31:20 K:BB - One look at the slash line tells you that Tolentino walked a lot during his autumnal campaign. In fact, he reached base more times on balls (20) than with his bat (17). Normally, this would be indicative of great plate discipline, except for the fact that struck out a pace greater than once per game. There’s too many provisos attached to Fall League numbers to get too worked up over them, but this statline is definitely a mixed bag.
Kody Huff (C): 11 G. .250/.340/.273, 8 RBI, 4 SB - Huff, whose playing time suffered from the fact of being a catcher in the Fall League (not enough innings to go around - especially on a team with a non-catcher relegated to exclusive DH duty) had a fairly nondescript autumn at the plate but did manage to drive in eight runs despite only one of his eleven hits being of the extra-base variety (a double). Averaging a hit per game with the vast majority being singles certainly didn’t hurt his ability to swipe four bags in the Valley of the Sun.
Dylan DeLucia (SP): 6 G (3 GS), 1-1, 18.2 IP, 6.75 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 11:10 K:BB, .267 opp. AVG - DeLucia, one of two Guardians hurlers to start games in the AFL, had a rough go of it in the hitter-centric autumnal circuit but improved as the fall went along - something that is not surprising when you consider that Dylan’s belated rookie campaign didn’t begin until June 21 (Independence Day if you don’t count a career-opening rehab stint) due to Tommy John Surgery recovery.
Zak Kent (SP): 5 G (3 GS), 3-0, 16.2 IP, 3.78 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 18:9 K:BB, .140 opp. AVG - The other Cleveland starter on the Saguaro roster likewise improved as the AFL season went along, but did so earlier and better than DeLucia, resulting in a vastly superior fall statline.
Alaska Abney (RP): 9 G, no decisions, 7.1 IP, 4.91 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, 11:2 K:BB, .344 opp. AVG - Abney, who on multiple occasions was called upon to get the final out of an inning, had a much better fall than his ERA (half of which was due to a two-run frame on October 28) would suggest. The K:BB numbers are especially encouraging.
Allan Hernandez (RP): 7 G, 2-0, 10.1 IP, 3.48 ERA, 1.35 ERA, 12:5 K:BB, .231 opp. AVG - Hernandez capped his first uninterrupted full season as a professional with a solid fall that earned him the much-deserved honor of being the lone Guardian to see action in the Fall Stars Game.
Andrew Misiaszek (RP): 6 G, 5.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0.75 WHIP, 8:2 K:BB, .111 opp. AVG - Saving the best for last, we look at Misiaszek’s dominant fall. Andrew was as close to perfect as one could hope for over the course of a mini-season, allowing only four baserunners out of the twenty batters he faced. While such a performance may be somewhat expected from a more experienced arm like Andrew, it still represented a good finish to his 2024, which can only help him (mentally, if nothing else) as he goes into his “contract year” (eligible for minor league free agency if not rostered on the 40-man after the upcoming season) with a major league camp invite.
There it is, the final column of the 2024-2025 offseason! Spring Training will be here before you know it (The Cubs’ pitchers and catchers are the first to report on the 9th, their Guardians counterparts follow suit on the 13th). If you need me between now and the Spring Training opener on the 22nd, I’ll be busy making the 2025 Next Year in Cleveland Rosters Page the greatest one yet!
ONWARD TO 2025!!!